Terry McBurney, 47, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and former Major with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawfully procuring U.S. citizenship, making false statements under oath, and wire fraud. The charges stem from a federal indictment returned in November 2016, exposing a years-long deception that allowed McBurney to secure law enforcement promotions and taxpayer-funded benefits under false pretenses.
McBurney was born in Ireland, not the United States, as he repeatedly claimed. In September 2010, he submitted an application to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and a DHS Form I-9 — both falsely marked as U.S. citizen. He repeated the lie in December 2010 on an application to the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission. At the plea hearing, McBurney admitted he was not a citizen at the time — a fact that disqualified him from holding public office under state law.
Despite his fraudulent claims, McBurney obtained POST certification in May 2011, unlocking a $600 annual pay supplement from Rutherford County. He collected those illegal payments in 2013, 2015, and 2016. His career climbed on lies: promoted to captain in 2013, then to major on January 18, 2016 — positions requiring U.S. citizenship. McBurney admitted in court he still wasn’t a citizen when he took both promotions.
The deception deepened when McBurney applied for naturalization in September 2015. During a December 2015 interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, he denied ever claiming to be a U.S. citizen in writing or otherwise. Those statements were false. On February 24, 2016, he took the oath of allegiance and was sworn in as a citizen — built on a foundation of perjury.
Now facing the consequences, McBurney is set for sentencing on May 12, 2017. He risks up to 10 years in prison for unlawful procurement of citizenship, up to 5 years for false statements under oath, and up to 20 years for wire fraud. Each count carries a potential $250,000 fine. His U.S. citizenship could also be revoked.
The case was investigated by ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf is prosecuting. The fall of Terry McBurney lays bare how one man’s lies infiltrated the ranks of local law enforcement, betraying public trust and the rule of law.
Related Federal Cases
- Rutherford Sheriff’s Major Charged in Citizenship Scam · Tennessee
- Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold Pleads Guilty to Corruption · Georgia
- Settlement Reached for Vet Homes’ Rights Violations · Alabama
- Settlement Reached for Tennessee Vet Homes’ Neglect Cases · Mississippi
- Tennessee Vets Left to Rot in Neglect · Mississippi
Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Public CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic Corruption